A new program at Niverville Middle School is highlighting the importance of the arts using a previously untaught medium. Since the beginning of the school year, Robin Marchadour has been teaching students in Grades Seven and Eight the art of photography, using DSLR cameras.
“The students were really excited about it because they have the opportunity to try,” said Marchadour. “A lot of them had never really used a DSLR camera before.”
The ten students in the program have spent ten weeks learning how to use the cameras. Marchadour says that students appear to be more interested in photography nowadays because of the widespread influence of Instagram.
“They’re just really excited to learn about how we can take more artistic photos just by adjusting settings,” she says. “They have ideas for photos, but [at first] they had no idea how to take them.”
This has been a pilot year for a new arts program at Niverville Middle School, which previously only offered a band program. Since September, the school has been testing four new programs, including guitar and digital art. The new offerings have so far proven to be a success.
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed about it is the students are highly engaged,” Marchadour says. “They’ve been doing the basic subjects for years. This is something new and interesting. It’s out of the ordinary.”
Marchadour has also been impressed with the variety of photographs the students have produced.
“I have learned they all notice and see things differently. The funny thing is that we all go and photograph in the exact location. But when they submit their photos to me, they’re all completely different.”
Marchadour is uniquely qualified to teach this type of class. Not only does she teach traditional subjects such as math and health, she also has a history in the photographic arts, having previously run a photography business out of her home.
“I would like to see the program grow,” she adds. “I am looking forward it.”
